Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the world’s largest and most recognisable recovery ‘program’, and central to its philosophy is the 12 Step Program. AA is a global organisation of 2.2 million members worldwide (AAWS, 2001), with a reported 3,600 weekly meetings in the United Kingdom (AAWS, 2011). AA has made many claims in their literature about the program’s effectiveness (AAWS, 2001: 84). Alcoholism is associated with a number of very serious health and social problems, including involvement in crime (Finney 2004; Fitzpatrick, 2010; Alcohol Reduction Strategy 2003). As fiscal pressure mounts, groups such as AA will be of interest to policy makers. Through an analysis of interviews with twenty long-term abstinent members of Alcoholics Anonymous, the thesis seeks to explain the effects of participation in AA’s therapeutic practices. Evidence from the literature on AA, revealed three concepts key to understanding participation in AA: Motivation to Engage (MtE), Structured Social Engagement (SSE), and Personal Agency (PA). A hypothetical model of AA-mediated behavioural change, constituted by these elements, was constructed and the findings supported this putative model. Further analysis revealed the coping strategies members of AA employed that ensured engagement with AA during stressful life events that threatened abstinence. The model was adapted to incorporate the temporal effects of long-term engagement with AA. Elements of Maruna’s (2001: 73) Condemnation Script resonated in the narratives of AA members. Contra Maruna’s analysis, AA members accepted ‘condemnation script’, but these were not negative, limiting beliefs. AA’s therapeutic practices structure, a coherent sense of self, one that supports cessation from negative patterns of drinking. The data exposed the sustained usage of AA’s discourse in the narrative accounts given. This finding extends Borkman’s (1976) Experiential Knowledge thesis, a language of ‘truth’ based on personal experience. The ‘linguistic echoes’ embedded in each narrative, suggests that a person uses AA’s discourse to ‘scaffold’ their recovery. This thesis provides an explanation of AA’s therapeutic practices of how adherence to AA’s principles, cognitively restructures the individual towards mastering self-control. AA’s philosophy and the following empirical evidence asserts abstinence as pre-requisite for recovery from alcohol dependence.

The primary aim of this dissertation is to examine the hermeneutical foundation, the biblical basis, the historical principle, and then to formulate a four-bridge application paradigm based on four distinguished processes--exegetical, doctrinal, homiletical, and transformational--aiming at transforming the lives of listeners for the glory of God. Chapter 1 analyzes the indispensability of a well-balanced hermeneutical application paradigm by arguing the relationship between hermeneutics and application, by reexamining application paradigms and bridge-building models, and by refocusing the four bridge paradigm. Chapter 2 examines the sermons of biblical prototypes--Moses, Ezra, the Minor Prophets, and Paul--and their features of application paradigms by means of a paradigmatic analyses rather than an exhaustive one. This chapter thoroughly explores Paul's sermons in his epistles, his preaching in Acts, and his hermeneutical bridge-building paradigm. The essential characteristics of these biblical models lead to a four-bridge life-changing application paradigm. Chapter 3 investigates four exemplary historical models--John Chrysostom, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, and John Broadus--and examines their illustrative sermons to identify their indispensable principles of application paradigms and to apply these historical facets for formulating a contemporized application paradigm. Four models provide a historical validation to formulate a legitimate life-changing application paradigm. Chapter 4 proposes a four-bridge application paradigm rooted in hermeneutical, biblical prototypes and historical models. The chapter systemizes (1) an exegetical bridge for discerning the aim of author-intended signification and the criteria for transferring universal principles of application (2) a doctrinal bridge for examining seven master keys to unlock the universal principles of ethical application, (3) a homiletical bridge for identifying a variety of relevance categories, legitimate methodologies of audience exegesis and adaptation, and an appropriate degree of transfer, and (4) a Spirit-led transformational bridge that is legitimate to change the lives of listeners. Chapter 5 concludes that contemporary preachers, as bridge-builders, need to seek a life-transforming application paradigm by utilizing the exegetical bridge, the doctrinal bridge, the homiletical bridge and the Spirit-led transformational bridge.

There has been an increase of research in the area of forgiveness, particularly since the early 1980’s; however, there has been far less research done in the field of addiction and how forgiveness or the lack of forgiveness impact’s a person’s recovery. The profession of social work has a wide array of fields and services, and it is not uncommon for a social worker to work with a person abusing substances at some point in his or her career. While there are many aspects of treating and assisting client’s in their recovery, one topic that may not be discussed with clients is the subject of forgiveness. However, forgiveness renders itself as pertinent in a person maintaining sobriety and thus it is imperative while conducting treatment for social workers to not shy away from this subject with their clients. This study utilized a qualitative analysis consisting of interviews with ten participants who share their experiences of forgiveness in their own recovery. The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of forgiveness on 12 step group attendees in order to gain an awareness of how forgiveness or the lack of forgiveness affects one’s ability to maintain sobriety. The findings of this research will be used to increase social workers’ understanding of utilizing forgiveness as a treatment modality, impact future social work policy, practice and research.

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The word addiction is almost immediately associated with notions of drug dependency and alcoholism, and drug addiction is often referred to as a pandemic that affects individuals, families, communities and society at large. Aetiological approaches to understanding and treating addiction have changed dramatically throughout history, and currently the most contemporary approach is that of the disease model which views addiction as an illness rather than as a ‘badness’. While the underpinnings of Narcotics Anonymous’ 12 step philosophy employs non-specific drug language as it views all drugs as having the capacity to become addictive, and while it does not distinguish between the capacity for substances and certain behaviours to become addictive, activities such as overeating, having sex and gambling are yet to be classified as legitimate addictions by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). As a result, it appears as if some confusion exists as to whether these behaviours should be classified as impulse control disorders or as genuine addictions due to the various similarities they share in common with substance based disorders. The research conducted explored how people recovering from addiction, as well as how people working with addiction understand addiction and multiple dependency, together with the factors that contribute to relapse and the ability to abstain. Various 12 Step meetings from a variety of 12 Step Fellowships were attended and members were invited to participate in the study. Ultimately seventy eight participants completed a self developed questionnaire which was utilised to assess how people recovering from addiction understood addiction and multiple dependency and the factors that contribute to relapse and the ability to abstain. Quantitative data were analysed via descriptive and inferential statistics. Furthermore twenty participants working with addiction were interviewed with the use of a semi structured interview schedule in order to explore their perceptions around addiction and the factors that contribute to relapse and sobriety. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic content analysis. Results indicated that the majority of recovering addicts and professionals working with addiction understand addiction as a disease. However, discrepancy was apparent with regards to whether or not all recovering addicts have the same disease and subsequently whether all addictions can be treated in the same manner. The above result suggested that there was no standardised, uniform way in which the disease model is understood and interpreted. Factors such as cross addiction, resistance to change and issues relating to the maintenance of change were identified as issues that contribute to relapse, while factors such as aftercare, following the 12 step programme and support were identified as the main aspects that contribute to sobriety. No statistical significance was noted between participants who had relapsed as opposed to those who had not for variables of sensation seeking, impulsivity and perceived stress (which may have been as a result of small sample size). Deeper understanding of the disease model together with broader application of it, and a focus on appropriate training and more comprehensive assessment could perhaps see a reduction in high rates of relapse and recidivism more commonly known as the ‘revolving door syndrome’.

This thesis Influence of SASA group on treatment and integration of rape trauma deals with specific contributions of self-help group seen from the viewpoint of its members as it brings healing to their experience with sexual abuse. The work can be helpful for people, who personally experienced sexual abuse or rape or other kinds of sexual assaults and also for people, who are dealing with such a victim personally or proffessionally. The goal of the thesis is to view the healing aspects of the SASA group contributing to recovery from rape - what specifially helps and thanks to what factors. It also shows what obstacles the group can bring about and how its members deal with a concept of 12 steps. Theoretical part explains basic terms and up-to-date situation in the matter. In a nutshell it shows posttraumatic experience of the rape victim in feelings, behavior and needs. It looks upon the trauma how it results in the mental state. Also it shows the self-help groups phenomenon and its role in the system of help as a complementary human care possiblity describing particularities of a specific spiritual self-help SASA group (Sexual Assault Survival Anonymous) based on 12 steps program inspired by Alcoholic Anonymous. Practical part shows data confirming the goals of the work gained by qualitative...

Beroende klassas som en familjesjukdom som bär med sig negativa konsekvenser för alla inblandade. De anhöriga riskerar även att själva utveckla ett medberoendetillstånd där deras tanke- känslo- och beteendemönster blir självdestruktivt. Inom medberoendelitteraturen råder det dock ingen enighet om hur medberoendet bör förstås eller förklaras och undersökningar av det offentliga anhörigstödet har visat på en hel del brister bland annat genom att inte vara tillräckligt flexibelt och individanpassat. Syftet med den här studien är att undersöka hur medberoendetillståndet förklaras och förstås av de anhöriga själva och hur anhörigstödet kan formas för att möta de anhörigas behov. Studien har genomförts genom en mikro-etnografisk metod som bestått dels av observationer i olika självhjälpsgrupper som alla härstammar från Anonyma Alkoholister (AA) och 12-stegsprogrammet, dels av kvalitativa intervjuer med medlemmar från de olika grupperna. Observationerna har genomförts vid totalt 9 olika tillfällen, 8 observationer vid fysiska öppna möten på Al-Anon, AA och ACA och en observation vid ett digitalt zoom-konvent, som hölls av Co-Anon. Intervjuerna var semistrukturerade och med Grounded Theory (GT) som analysmetod använde jag mig av ett teoretiskt målinriktat urval, och efter 9 observationer och 3 intervjuer hade jag nått en teoretisk mättnad. Analysen bestod av kodning i tre steg, enligt GT, och utmynnade i kärnkategorier som hjälpte till att besvara studiens frågeställningar. Resultaten av studien visar att medberoende kan förstås som ett verkligt problem som berör många olika delar av personernas liv där bristen på en känsla för identitet kan ses som kärnproblematiken som de andra delarna härstammar ifrån. Här samlas teman som dysfunktionella relationer, flykt och ärvda mönster. Medberoendet har gett en artificiell känsla av ett jag, som inte varit på riktigt. Medberoendet kan förklaras av de anhörigas dysfunktionella barndom som präglats av negativa känslomässiga konsekvenser, ej tillgodosedda behov och trauman. Stödet via självhjälpsgrupperna berör dels gruppens kultur där viktiga teman är tillhörighet och igenkänning dels handlingsprogram och nya strategier, med teman som personlig inventering och känslohantering. Insikten om medberoendet har varit smärtsam men samtidigt en förutsättning för tillfrisknande och genom gruppen skapas förutsättningar för att hjälpa andra genom att hjälpa sig själva.